http://rileyandnatalie.blogspot.com/

So I have clearly been slacking. 
Here are the highlights:

-ENGAGED to Riley!!!!! Never been so happy and in love. He truly is my best friend and my partner in crime see natalieandriley.blogspot.com post to come
-Working as a RN and totally exhausted and loving it! I am working nights and training for oncology certification. I feel like I am finally able to really understand what I am doing and why. I LOVE the people I work with and work with such a great team. The floor I work on is so diverse ranging from orthopedics, oncology, psych, gyno surgeries, neuro surgeries, bowel surgeries and medical patients (ie-TB, hyponatremia, DVT , etc). It is always keeping me on my toes!! I was looking through my "Bucket List" post and realized I have -saved a life (I've done CPR, helped a patient be intubabted and also assisted someone on comfort care to comfortably pass away)  and passed my NCLEX. All of these things made me realize I need a new bucket list!
-Bought my first home!! Email me for the new address :) It is an adorable 2 story home with  brick detail, red door, patio and in my dream neighborhood. What an experience that was!! I learned how stressful owning a home is. Luckily I have my parents and family close by for help and Riley who is always helping with yard work, garbage and dishes! I honestly found my dream house for now-- I call it a dollhouse because it is so charming. I love it. 
-Got a puppy. Phewf raising a black lab puppy is not easy but he brings Riley and I SO much joy. Maverick is  16 weeks old and doing so great with his training. He LOVES to go on walks to the pond and swim, he plays fetch, loves tug-o-war, and is doing sit-stay so well. Maverick is in the middle of losing all his teeth so we call him toothless joe. Maverick is such a great addition to our lives 
-My family is all well and happy

Its official! Wahoooooo!! I read old posts and feel like my blog has officially come full circle. When I first started this blog I was heart broken and starting my road to nursing-- and now I am EMPLOYED and dating the most amazing guy. I am so happy and SO in love.

Monday I had my first day of orientation for the residency program and met the other 40 people in the program. It was so great to meet the other people Swedish hired. I met the other 2 girls hired on my unit and am SO happy, they could not be anymore perfect. This week of orientation was long and really slow but I can hardly wait to get on the floor and actually do what I have been taught for 2 years. Although I still feel like I am in school with "online modules" and juggling clinical schedules. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have been given.

Update on my life through pictures:

double date bowling couldnt be happier-- great friends and my boyfriend/best friend

nye with the girls 

nye with the Lauren  

nye with Riley. couldnt start the year off any better than with my best friend xoxox

Tubbs Family sweater party 2012 

So I have made a resolution to get things done off my "Bucket List 2012". I have also added a few things...

-Save someones life
-Graduate Nursing school/Pass my NCLEX
-Go to Europe
-Buy a home
-Go on a healthcare humanitarian mission
-Own 2+ pairs of Christian Louboutin
-Train a dog
-Get a big girl job (start at Swedish in Issaquah in the Residency Program 1/21!)
-Finish my BSN (accepted in UT-online ADN to BSN) 

-Skydiving
-Go to Karma on the Jersey shore
-Go on a cruise
-Learn how to play the piano (again...)
-Run a half marathon (signed up for and paid! BOOM! june 22!)
-Get my concealed weapons permit 
-Be confident in my body

2012

This year has been a hard year, one I will look back at and remember the morning is darkest before dawn. Life seems to always get hard before it gets better. I learned a lot about myself this year and challenged myself in my struggles. This year I overcame hardship in school, being away from family, defeat, not passing my NCLEX the first time and my first real heart break. Many times I could have used excuses and given up, but I didn't. 2012 taught me that I am strong.

I have spent a lot of time this year thinking about how to make the years to come more successful and enjoyable. 2013 will be my year-- I am going to live life everyday and remember to be grateful. Grateful for the struggles and hard times so that I can appreciate the good. I read an article on "12 things happy people do differently" and I am going to work hard at developing these traits in myself.
1. Express Gratitude
2. Cultivate Optimism
3. Avoid Over Thinking and Social Comparison (**this will be a challenge for me! I am my toughest critic!!!)
4. Practice Acts of kindness
5. Nurture Social Relationships (**balancing my friendships with my time with my boy friend)
6. Develop Strategies for Coping
7. Learn to Forgive
8. Increase Flow Experiences
9. Savor Life's Joys
10. Commit to Your Goals (**this year I've set a lot of BIG goals so committing is important!!)
11. Practice Spirituality
12. Take Care of Your Body

2013:
-nursing job
-buy a house
-get a puppy
-run a half marathon
-go on a spur of the moment trip

I promise more entries to follow.
Xoxox
N

Music always seems to capture my mood and feelings better than I can articulate my feelings. Here are my 2 songs that seem to illustrate my life the last few months.

Life is a challenge and the struggles are the things that shape us and mold us into better people. 

Today is the day I finished nursing school. I have been looking forward to this day for almost 3.5 years! When I finished my test I didn't feel relieved like I had imagined but more full from "eating my elephant". All I could think of was going home and taking a longggggg nap. Maybe tomorrow it will really hit me? Hopefully I will wake up tomorrow feeling relieved, and itll hit me that I am graduating from nursing school! Thanks everyone for putting up with my emotions, the ups and downs of the nursing school. I love you all!! xoxox